Tom`s travels: Val Pusteria & Conegliano (14-16/08/2019)

Following Ania's arrival in Italy for her holiday period with a few days at the beach in Jesolo, we decided to head for a couple of days to my aunt's house in the mountains. We left early morning from Jesolo and taking the panoramic way through the Dolomites, reached Brunico in time for lunch. We parked next to the church of Santa Maria Assunta and then grabbed something to eat in the surroundings. Having been several times to visit the city I decided to show Ania around. We walked through the pretty small square to the west of the church and then headed uphill to reach the castle. We didn't go in but instead went around it and then down towards the city center passing by the church of Santa Caterina Am Rain with its beautiful onion-shaped bell tower. After reaching the old town we followed the sidewalk that bordered the Rienza river and ended up at the northern end of the old town where all the main restaurants are located. From there we entered through the medieval St Florian Gate and were now in the Via Centrale, the core of the old town. Lined by beautiful typical Baroque houses all in different colors, the street is just a few hundred meters long but very picturesque. After strolling around we then headed back to the car and drove until we reached my aunt's house in the small hamlet of Chienes just west of Brunico. After parking and leaving our stuff in the house we decided to take a small walk; we descended down through the town and crossed then the Rienza river. Then following a path winding its way through the forest we reached the small hamlet of Casteldarne. At the top of the hill jutting out from the city center, we reached the parish church with a nice Baroque interior. Right below it was the castle, originally built in the 12th century but later refurbished during the 18th century in the baroque style. Now only the outer southern side preserves the medieval structure while the rest maintains the manor-style from the later period. The castle is privately owned so we were only able to see it from the outside. We then decided to head back to the house and rest for the day.

The following morning after an early rise, we got in the car and drove a few minutes uphill until we reached a car park just north of Chienes. From there, a nice trail winding its up through a forest brought us to the mountain hut Moarhofalm. I had walked that same way the previous winter, and that trail was used by people on bobsleighs as it was covered in snow. From the hut, we then continued onwards until we reached the small so-called Green Lake. Here Ania decided to take a break so I headed onwards to reach the top of the Cime di Pozzo, at 2438m. The view from the top, despite the cloudy weather, was amazing and the whole Pusteria Valley to the south was visible, with the Plan de Corones, where the skiing area is located also easy to spot. To the north, the white peaks of the Alpi Aurine were visible among the clouds. The view during the winter was much clearer but it was definitely worth coming here during the summer to have a completely different outlook of the whole area. After enjoying the view for a bit and catching back my breath, I descended back down and rejoined Ania. We then continued downwards until we reached the aforementioned hut where we had an incredibly tasty lunch which we still recollect once in a while when thinking about it. I had some super tasty Canederli with sauerkraut, while Ania had polenta with mushrooms. After the great lunch, we went further down, reached the car, and then drove back to the house. After changing into non-hiking clothes we then headed to the Hotel Kronblick, just down the street where we bought two entrances to their spa and pools. For a decent price, we were able to spend the rest of the afternoon chilling in their outside area with sunbeds and pool with a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains and occasional walks inside to enjoy the saunas and Turkish baths. Included was also a small buffet of snacks and drinks right next to the spa entrance which I particularly thoroughly enjoyed.

The next day after yet again an early rise we had decided to head back to Jesolo but in the meantime stop to see a few sights on the way. Our first stop was the Lake Braies which we reached in just over half an hour. This small alpine lake located at 1496m and right below the Croda del Becco mountain has become one of the most visited sites in the whole region. Once relatively unknown, it gained popularity thanks to an Italian tv show which filmed its scenes on the shores of the lake, and later thanks to Instagram which popularized abroad as well. It was shocking to see so many people already crowding it at 10am, particularly organized groups of Asians. I had been a couple of times before in the past years and had never had a problem with crowds. However, now due to the high numbers of people visiting, the local authorities have even put special blocks so that no more than a certain number of cars can access the area. Luckily we had reached the place relatively early so the block was not in place yet and we managed to find a spot in the parking lot next to the entrance. As we reached the shore we were in awe of the amazing view that appeared in front of our eyes. From the northern end of the lake, we then decided to follow the trail that went around the perimeter in order to do a whole circle and admire it from every perspective. We followed the trail clockwise and after about 2 hours made a complete round around it. By the time we had reached the beginning the sun was now shining completely over the lake and made the already crystal clear waters even prettier than in the early morning. After getting back in the car, and leaving the crowds that were now inexorably arriving at large, we got back on the road in the direction of the sea. Driving again through the Dolomites we then reached the plains and I proposed to take a little detour to visit the small town of Conegliano. We parked the car right outside the city center and then proceeded on foot. We entered the medieval core by walking through the Porta Morticano, the eastern city gate, where a fresco of the Lion of St Mark clearly indicated we were in the lands of Venice. We then walked along the main street, Via XX Settembre, in the past known as Contrada Granda, with its fine Renaissance palaces and houses many of which featuring some beautifully frescoes facades. Halfway along the street we then passed by the central main square, Piazza Cima, and then entered the Duomo located right after it. Its facade, not visible, it covered by the splendid palaces of the main street, however, the Renaissance bell tower jutting out among the rooftops clearly marks its presence. The interior, quite simple and unadorned, featured through a masterpiece by a local artist who was later known nation and worldwide: Giovanni Battista Cima da Conegliano. This painting, the so-called Conegliano Altarpiece, depicts the Madonna and Child with Angels and Saints in the typical vivid colors of the renaissance and particularly of this artist. It was a real pleasure to admire a painting in its originally intended location, quite rare these days, especially when concerning masterpieces. After the visit to the Cathedral, we then followed a stairway sided by the medieval walls which eventually brought us to the top of the hill where the castle is located. Built during the 12th century, not much is left apart from the main keep's tower and the small church of Santa Orsola, once the old Duomo, the latter unfortunately closed. We headed up to where the actual castle used to stand and where the lonely tower now dominated the town below and enjoyed the view of the surrounding landscape. After sitting in the shade of one of the cypresses there we then decided to retrace our steps and walk back down into town, from where we then reached the car and finally drove onwards until we reached Jesolo less than an hour away.